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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26459500">What If We Held Hands In Electrical?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OuterSpace_eDater/pseuds/OuterSpace_eDater'>OuterSpace_eDater</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Among Us (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Crack Treated Seriously, Despair, Gen, Guilt, Hand Crushing, Light Blood/Gore, One Shot, Trust, hand holding, murder (in a video game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:36:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,718</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26459500</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OuterSpace_eDater/pseuds/OuterSpace_eDater</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>If only he knew.</p><p>Or, maybe already he does.</p><p>(In which an impostor tries to escape a clingy crewmate but ends up getting a little too attached.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Crewmate/Impostor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>765</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Impostor POV</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A story based on the game Among Us. One-shot, unless I decide to do more.</p><p>Content warning:<br/>Character death, light mentions of blood and gore</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You are the red crewmate.</p><p> </p><p>You became the de-facto captain's, Blue's, assigned companion just as you stepped into the ship. He never leaves your side and he makes sure you never leave his. And that would be reassuring had it been any other occasion. But unfortunately for you, you're one of the impostors.</p><p> </p><p>Logically, he’d be the hardest to kill, since everyone knows you two always travel together, much to your distaste for that arrangement. His presence was sort of unpleasant, to say the least. Despite being the only confirmed innocent on board the ship, he wasn’t the most vocal crew member, nor did he play detective very much. He was a passive individual, but everyone trusted him.</p><p> </p><p>And it's incredibly frustrating that the rest of the crew won't leave each other alone. They're smart, assigning themselves to travel in packs. It'd be hard to make a dent in their numbers.</p><p> </p><p>But soon enough you'd have your time. An opportunity.</p><p> </p><p>The lights fizzle out and you inwardly sigh. It'd be easy to lose Blue in the darkness, but as you think of that, you can feel his ironclad grip snap to your hand. You’re a bit unnerved at his speed.</p><p> </p><p>You do not speak, as per protocol. Body language is the only viable option outside of emergency meetings. So instead you tap the hand that held yours with your free hand, prompting him to lessen his grip.</p><p> </p><p>Blue is smart, making sure you stick to him. If you ever left him, chances were he’d be the first to accuse you the moment a crewmate reported a fresh corpse. And you cannot afford to lose Blue’s trust so early. You only hoped that your partner in crime would be able to carry your weight, as humiliating as that would be.</p><p> </p><p>You mentally curse as Blue drags you to Electrical, hand still clamped shut around yours. You can't tell if he's doing this because he trusts you or if he suspects you, but either way it'd be nearly impossible to get away safely. You make the best of it and follow him as he weaves through the darkness.</p><p> </p><p>You’re glad you can see in the dark, but it was an advantage you should try to keep hidden. A few other groups pass you by and you feel a slight, brief brush on your shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>You see Black with his groupmate Cyan, though you notice a distinct lack of their assigned third. Further down the line, you see Purple, accompanied by White. Then finally, you see Orange, with his companions Pink and Lime.</p><p> </p><p>Blue's hold on your hand is nigh crushing but you let it be as his pulling comes to a dead stop.</p><p> </p><p>A bloodied, decapitated yellow lump sits on the floor, complete with a bone jutting forth from the opening, in front of the entrance to Electrical.</p><p> </p><p>Purple is the first to call the meeting.</p><p> </p><p>"We all know what we saw," Blue says steadily. "Black? Cyan?”</p><p> </p><p>Yellow was in their trio. If Black and Cyan didn’t have information about Yellow, then it was likely nobody else did.</p><p> </p><p>But you knew Black was the culprit, and you admit, this kill was dangerous. But at least it wasn’t down to only him. Cyan was also a plausible bet. You'd seen how he spoke to the others before. He didn't exactly have a reputation of being the friendliest, nor was he very talkative. It’d be easy to shift the blame onto him.</p><p> </p><p>Black is the first of the now-duo to speak up. "None of our tasks were in Electrical. Yellow must've strayed from the group after the lights went out. We were headed to the Reactor."</p><p> </p><p>Cyan remains silent. White picks it up from there. "Convenient, don't you think? The lights are off, everyone is scrambling to Electrical in a tightly packed crowd. Easy pickings, no?"</p><p> </p><p>Far be it for White to simply ignore the circumstances regarding the lights. He's a strict, inquisitive mind, and that makes him the most dangerous to you.</p><p> </p><p>"Cyan, what do you think happened?" he asks. He glances at Black and then you.</p><p> </p><p>Cyan doesn’t answer the question. Blue turns his attention to you, perhaps for some input, but you stay still and keep your eyes on White.</p><p> </p><p>"Did you see Yellow wander away from your group?" White pressures further.</p><p> </p><p>"I wasn't paying attention," Cyan mutters nonchalantly.</p><p> </p><p>White slammed a hand down onto the table. "How could you not pay attention?" White spits, "I thought you were teammates. You’re assigned to teams for a damn reason and it’s to look out for each other. What the hell were you doing?"</p><p> </p><p>"The lights were out for a while," Black reminds everyone, trying to deflect attention away from himself and Cyan. “We could barely see ourselves. I doubt anyone could’ve reasonably kept track of Yellow.”</p><p> </p><p>White seemed to back off after that statement, but he didn't seem at all satisfied. He was hungry for blood and in his state it mattered very little to him if the accused was truly guilty or not. You could tell Cyan’s devil-may-care attitude about this entire thing pissed him right off.</p><p> </p><p>He glares at Black for a second longer, then turns his attention to the rest of the group. You curse his competence under your breath. Every second his attention is on Black, your anxiety increases tenfold.</p><p> </p><p>"Alright," White says. “Orange, did you or your teammates see anything out of the ordinary?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not that I could tell, no. We were never near Electrical,” Orange bleats out. Pink and Lime seem to agree with him.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay. That only leaves Blue and Red. Did you two see anything?”</p><p> </p><p>You begin to feel Blue squeeze your hand, hard enough to hurt. You wince and try not to meet his gaze.</p><p> </p><p>"We were at Oxygen first, then to Storage to empty the chutes. We were near Shields when the lights shut off,” he replies.</p><p> </p><p>White knows better than to accuse the only confirmed innocent. Blue's done a scan. He can't be an impostor. But that leaves you.</p><p> </p><p>"Red, you're awfully quiet," White mutters. You had to give kudos to the man, he placed his suspicions well, even if by chance. He had little to no other evidence on you otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>Blue almost immediately retaliates. "White, you know it can't be Red. If it was, I'd be dead already."</p><p> </p><p>"Can't it?" he asks doubtfully. “Blue, just because he hasn’t killed you yet doesn’t mean he won’t kill you later.”</p><p> </p><p>"I think I'd know if he were an impostor. So far, he seems to be doing all of his tasks."</p><p> </p><p>"Fair enough," White answers, somewhat disappointed.</p><p> </p><p>Blue has too much trust in you, really. Even if it was misplaced, it still kept the suspicion off your back. In any case, keeping him alive was the smartest play. You reveled in your own walking, talking alibi, even if he prevented you from killing.</p><p> </p><p>"No votes, then. Everyone skip," Blue orders. "We don't have enough information."</p><p> </p><p>The others nod in agreement.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The teams disperse from the meeting and head in their designated paths. They must be a little less than halfway done with their tasks. You and Black needed to kill soon, otherwise your mission would be over.</p><p> </p><p>Black and Cyan were split up to make the teams even trios since Yellow was killed.</p><p> </p><p>But you wonder if Black’s assignment to you and Blue was a blessing or just plainly unfortunate. Black was cunning enough, he knew how to divert attention, but it'd just be better if there weren't two impostors to a group. It was inefficient to stick together.</p><p> </p><p>Fortunately, your team's next task was in Electrical. Tasks there were easy to fake.</p><p> </p><p>You were confident your skill with the wiring and buttons were enough to convince Blue, but you realize soon enough he wasn't paying any attention to you. He was more focused on your newest member.</p><p> </p><p>Visibly, he seemed tense. He was always a meter or two away from Black, but that meant he stuck as stiflingly close to you as possible. It's not like you minded anymore, though. Blue would end up just as still as Yellow sooner or later.</p><p> </p><p>The three of you walked around on the cold steel of the halls after Electrical to Admin. Blue’s insistent hand crushing began to get on your nerves and you felt your fingers beginning to go numb. It was as if he thought you could fly away at any moment. He put himself in between you and Black, as if he were trying to protect you from him. A valiant effort, but if you could laugh, you probably would.</p><p> </p><p>Your impostor teammate throws a look your way. Black knows better than to kill Blue, thankfully. He was aware the captain trusted you. You’re sure Black would figure out a way to keep the both of you from being voted off. You just hoped it didn't require you to speak. You definitely weren't as silver-tongued as your partner in crime.</p><p> </p><p>You stand behind Blue as he goes to check Admin's shipwide sensors, Black not far behind. You nod towards Black and he checks outside for a second before giving you a thumbs up. Coast’s clear. Without another moment's hesitation you sabotage the lights and Black takes off.</p><p> </p><p>As the lights dim once again, Blue’s hand darts for yours, just as you figured. He brings you closer, probably to make sure you were there. You know he can’t see very well in the dark. You’d need to pretend you couldn’t see either.</p><p> </p><p>You're disappointed you can't do much of the killing yourself, but if it secures a win for you, you couldn’t complain. You only hope Black can somehow score a good kill, someone like White. He’s proven to be the one with the most information last round.</p><p> </p><p>Blue checks his map for a brief moment before pulling you with him to Electrical. You could sense his panic, and you know he’s scared of another incident like Yellow happening all over again. Had you not tried to pry his hand off of yours, it probably would’ve been completely bruised by now.</p><p> </p><p>Before you can even reach Electrical’s entrance, the entire crew is summoned to the Cafeteria for an emergency meeting.</p><p> </p><p>This time, Purple is dead.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>White immediately speaks up, fuming. “Black.”</p><p> </p><p>This is not good. Had Black gotten caught? No, no, no, he couldn’t leave you here alone. There were too many of the crewmates left alive. You couldn’t kill them all by yourself and get away with it all.</p><p> </p><p>“Before you say anything, White—“ Black interjects.</p><p> </p><p>“—Quiet,” White hisses. “The body was at the Reactor this time.” He points a finger at Black. “Why the hell were you with me at the cameras, away from your group?”</p><p> </p><p>“The lights were off,” Black says, “I couldn’t see, but the cameras definitely could.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why not fix the lights, then?” White retaliates. “Your group was in Admin, correct? Don’t tell me you passed Electrical without fixing the lights.”</p><p> </p><p>“I came down through the Upper Engine,” Black explains, level headed. “The impostors seem to have taken a liking to killing in the dark. I wanted to catch them red-handed on tape before they picked even more of us off.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a rather roundabout way of doing it, Black,” White replies coldly. “I don’t quite understand why you’d allow someone to act as bait instead of just fixing the damn problem and focusing on tasks.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think trading in one life for the potential to eject an impostor is the best course of action here,” Black returns calmly. “We can’t afford to lose more of the crew to two of them.”</p><p> </p><p>Feasible explanation, albeit highly suspicious. Black was not entirely off the hook yet, but there was still another person to be interrogated. Tersely dismissing your teammate with a wave of his hand, White sets his focus onto Cyan. “Cyan, you were supposed to be accompanying Purple at the Reactor. What happened to that?”</p><p> </p><p>Cyan merely shrugs, much to your relief. Perhaps Cyan was spiteful enough that he was actively trying to get himself voted off. Or maybe he simply didn’t have a clue to what had just gone on. Either way, he wasn’t really making himself any less of a suspect.</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t see anything?” White presses. “Nothing? Nothing at all.”</p><p> </p><p>Cyan shakes his head. White gives Blue a look. Your captain nods back.</p><p> </p><p>“Vote Cyan,” White orders simply. “Black is next.”</p><p> </p><p>The other crewmates exchange strained looks with one another before following White’s orders. All sheep, the lot of them.</p><p> </p><p>Cyan flips White off, and White responds with a kick to his stomach, sending him tumbling into one of the airtight ejection chambers. The last words to be heard out of the ejectee were loud, filthy swears, staining White’s name in every single one of them. The chamber doors shut closed with a loud clang after White pulls down hard on the lever, censoring any further obscenities.</p><p> </p><p>You pity the crew. Cyan has probably said more during this than he has in any of the other previous meetings combined. Through the glass, the crew could see the cyan-colored speck of their former crewmate, lost to the cold expanse of space.</p><p> </p><p>‘Cyan was not An Impostor. Two Impostors remain.’</p><p> </p><p>The disappointment was nearly palpable.</p><p> </p><p>This round, Blue does not immediately reach for your hand like he had done the rounds prior. Instead he’s hovering over the emergency meeting button, ready to press it once the cooldown wore off.</p><p> </p><p>But before he could call anything, red lights flashed in every room as the ship’s sirens blared. You’re grateful Black had sabotaged Oxygen just in the nick of time. He and Orange’s crew began to rush towards the halls to the right of the cafeteria. Blue signalled for you to take his post at the button as he and White hurried south to Admin.</p><p> </p><p>As you wait at the button, you hear the clank of a vent popping open as the sirens echo relentlessly inside your mind. You see Black jumping out of the duct, making his way to the meeting table.</p><p> </p><p>When he reaches you, he holds out his hand, and you hesitate for a moment before you take it. He gives a firm shake, his touch cold against yours.</p><p> </p><p>You can barely hear the words he says.</p><p> </p><p>‘It was a pleasure working with you,’ you manage to comprehend. He leans in and briefly touches the glass of his helmet to yours. He seemed sorry.</p><p> </p><p>Black refuses to wait a second more for a response. You hear the click of his gun as he turns and leaves, loading in a single bullet as he makes his move towards Admin. Somehow, your gut doesn’t sit right as you realize what he’s about to do.</p><p> </p><p>Though, you trust him regardless. Might as well go off with a bang if he’s bound to get voted off anyway.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Soon enough, a meeting is called. White is dead. You assume a bullet’s found itself quite snugly into that bright brain of his.</p><p> </p><p>The discussion was short and sweet. Blue directed every remaining crewmate to vote for Black with ease. Nobody else says a thing. Everyone trusts his judgement, even more so now that White’s been killed.</p><p> </p><p>Black remains as calm and collected as he’s always been even as he sees that you’ve voted for him too. He doesn’t fight his ejection. You watch him quietly enter into the chamber. Peacefully, he’s sent out into the depths of space.</p><p> </p><p>You can’t bear to see his body outside the glass.</p><p> </p><p>‘Black was An Impostor.’</p><p> </p><p>Despair lingers in your heart, and it slowly paves its way towards utter bitterness.</p><p> </p><p>‘One Impostor remains.’</p><p> </p><p>And still, it all feels hopeless. There were four other people left alive. You’d need to kill three. A nearly impossible feat. The crew’s tasks were nearly done at this point.</p><p> </p><p>Blue reaches for your hand, receiving no resistance from you.</p><p> </p><p>You think he knows.</p><p> </p><p>He probably knows. The fact that they were all single kills told him everything he needed to know. You even feel a little sorry for it.</p><p> </p><p>But maybe he doesn’t. And you hope and plead for your life that he doesn’t. Orange, Lime, and Pink are still alive and breathing. You try to think positively. They’re quiet enough. Not as piercing as the thankfully deceased White. Maybe you can try to make something happen. Something extreme. Blue might still have faith in you.</p><p> </p><p>You sigh. Your fate depended on something you weren’t even sure existed.</p><p> </p><p>But everyone’s travelling in a tight-knit group. Your opportunity, wrapped neatly in front of you. Perhaps it could work. You only needed to act on it. Nothing else to lose, after all.</p><p> </p><p>Blue’s still latched onto your hand. Once you turn off the lights, he’s more akin to a parasite. You find it endearing, his dedication.</p><p> </p><p>Orange walks with Pink and Lime in the front. A pang of guilt runs through you as you brush the tips of your fingers against the gun concealed inside your suit. You pull the damned thing out.</p><p> </p><p>Three. Two. One. And fire.</p><p> </p><p>Lime drops to the floor with a sopping wet thud.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Pink calls the meeting.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Please, please tell me somebody saw that,” Pink begs, panicked. “I couldn’t see very well, none of us could, but I think it’s Red, I just know it.”</p><p> </p><p>Blue turns to you then he turns to Pink. Your throat, as parched and unwilling as it was, couldn’t seem to deter you from snapping back. “Pink, you’re up against a wall, aren’t you? Your impostor teammate’s gotten voted off and you’re the only left, so you went for a stack kill. I do have to hand it to you, that was a ballsy play.”</p><p> </p><p>You give a sidelong glance to Blue. He doesn’t seem to react at all.</p><p> </p><p>Orange, on the other hand, however, starts to point a shaky finger at Pink. “What the hell, Pink? We all trusted you, Lime, me, and—”</p><p> </p><p>“—No! I didn’t kill him, Orange, you have to believe me,” Pink interrupts. “Please!”</p><p> </p><p>“You were the closest one to the body, and you reported immediately while none of us could even see you two,” you say. “Though, I think it would’ve been smarter for you to kill Blue.” For the first time, you reach for Blue’s hand and give it a hopeful squeeze. “I applaud your effort, nonetheless. You’ve gotten yourself this far.”</p><p> </p><p>Orange seems to have already voted. Pink stares at him in horror. “Who did you vote for, Orange?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s enough for me, Pink. I’m sorry. But if it’s not you, we can vote Red off.”</p><p> </p><p>In reality, they didn’t have to vote for anyone at all. They could’ve just finished tasks. You only hope that Blue would follow Orange’s example.</p><p> </p><p>Pink has voted.</p><p> </p><p>You have voted.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone looks expectantly at Blue. He speaks up. “This is the first time I’ve ever heard you being vocal, Red.”</p><p> </p><p>Not a word more escapes his suit’s mouthpiece as he finally turns in his vote.</p><p> </p><p>You feel an intense spike of dread stab at your core. Maybe he knows.</p><p> </p><p>As the vote is tallied, you see that only Pink had voted for you. You and Orange had voted for Pink.</p><p> </p><p>Graciously, Blue voted to skip.</p><p> </p><p>If Blue had just voted for you, nobody would’ve had to die. But the majority was absolute. You bless Orange’s poor soul.</p><p> </p><p>And Blue didn’t seem at all fazed when he pulled down on the lever.</p><p> </p><p>‘Pink was not An Impostor.’</p><p> </p><p>Orange could barely hold himself back. Blue stopped him seconds before he was just about ready to maul you.</p><p> </p><p>‘One Impostor remains.’</p><p> </p><p>Now it was just a battle of what was faster—a bullet or a button press.</p><p> </p><p>Blue didn’t try to hold your hand anymore. Somehow, you missed the pressure. It felt strange. Lonely. But it’s what you wanted from the start, right?</p><p> </p><p>With violent flashes of red light, the Reactor goes off. Odd, since you never pulled out your tablet. Perhaps even in the great abyss of space, Black was still looking out for you.</p><p> </p><p>Orange heads left first, desperate to control the situation before you could kill. Sirens screaming into your ears, you’re locked onto Blue, who reluctantly steps away from the emergency meeting button.</p><p> </p><p>There needed to be two people at the Reactor. And you wouldn’t be letting Blue get away anytime soon. Blue stares soberly at the gun you pull out of your suit.</p><p> </p><p>Orange is probably screaming his head off at the Reactor, begging and crying for someone else. You feel bad, if only by a little bit.</p><p> </p><p>Three.</p><p> </p><p>One hand grabs Blue’s. Craving for feeling. Yearning.</p><p> </p><p>Two.</p><p> </p><p>The other aims at his head. You stare him in his eyes, searching for any emotion to show that he was scared, that he feared for his life. But there was nothing there.</p><p> </p><p>One.</p><p> </p><p>Fire.</p><p> </p><p>Like all the others before him, he drops to the ground. You didn’t expect to feel anything.</p><p> </p><p>And yet you did.</p><p> </p><p>A pretty crimson leaks from the gap you tore through him, just as red as you.</p><p> </p><p>The entire ship trembles, swaying back and forth. You can feel the heat as the Reactor runs its course. Orange’s probably dead by now. Taken by the flames, perhaps.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe you like the heat. It warms your cold body.</p><p> </p><p>And your legs don’t seem to want to carry you anywhere.</p><p> </p><p>The flames that surrounded you, eating their way through the ship. The constant roar of the sirens. They were your only company.</p><p> </p><p>You sit with Blue’s corpse, wanting to believe nothing has changed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Your mission was complete.</p><p> </p><p>You’ve won.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was fun to write, even if it was for jokes. Hope you enjoyed!</p><p>The next chapter's much less depressing, I promise</p><p> </p><p>Go check out my Beta Reader for this fic, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowLyxi">SnowLyxi!</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Postgame Lobby</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fun little bonus chapter in the lobby after the game.</p><p>Hope you enjoy!!!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yellow is the first one you see as you see as you’re whisked back to the dropship. Although her head was reattached, she remained relatively unimpressed. Once you realize that she’d been the unfortunate first kill for the last few rounds consecutively, you feel a little worse.</p><p> </p><p>Ashamed on your teammate’s behalf, you wave to Yellow, sympathetic. She gladly returns the gesture before shooting a glare to Black, who had recently entered aboard the dropship. He merely shrugs, marching towards you to issue your shoulder a few celebratory pats. You give him a disapproving look. You hope Yellow wasn't the type to take it too seriously.</p><p> </p><p>“Red, buddy!” Black cheers. “How sweet of you to carry the rest of the game for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Idiot,” you reply, unamused. “Suspicion was on you ever since the first damn meeting. I don’t even know how you got away with it for<em> that </em>long.”</p><p> </p><p>Black chuckles, gesturing to White who had recently entered the dropship. "Courtesy of White, of course."</p><p> </p><p>A muffled, defeated groan comes from White as he ruefully slaps a hand to his visor. “Don’t,” he mutters, "you dare." You didn't even need to look at Black to know that he was enjoying himself.</p><p> </p><p>Cyan emerges from behind White, joining your crowd, presumably having just arrived as well. Once he spots him, Black gives him a cheeky thumbs up. White snaps his head to scrutinize the newcomer, and once he realizes it’s Cyan, he stirs, suddenly reignited. </p><p> </p><p><em> “You,” </em> White rasps.</p><p> </p><p>You could tell he was mere moments away from detonation. All condolences to Cyan.</p><p> </p><p>“What the <em>hell</em> happened back there, Cyan? Why didn’t you talk? Don’t just stay quiet for the entire round, we would’ve already voted off Black if you hadn’t been such a stubborn bastard and just told us what you’d seen, and it would’ve been such an easy win too—don’t tell me you <em>wanted</em> us to lose—”</p><p> </p><p>The pleasantries continue on for a few more seconds until Cyan gestures for a brief moment of reprieve.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey. White.” Cyan’s voice was crystal clear this time. Unusually serene.</p><p>
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  <em> “What.” </em>
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</p><p>Cyan gives him the finger.</p><p>
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</p><p>White’s speechlessness spoke myriads more for him than any of his words could. You swore you saw steam rising through the gaps of his helmet. You stare at the both of them, feeling remarkably uncomfortable.</p><p>
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</p><p>Then Black pierces the room with sudden, uproarious cackling, earning him a glare from White so vehement that if it weren’t for the helmet, it would’ve had the capacity to melt.<br/><br/></p><p>And in that moment, you remind yourself to hurry up and leave. It probably wasn't in your best interest to get tangled in the crossfire.</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>After you part from the errant trio, Purple approaches timidly, offering a handshake. </p><p> </p><p>“Good game,” they say. You don’t know Purple very well, but they seemed polite enough. </p><p> </p><p>“Good game,” you return.</p><p> </p><p>They leave to watch Cyan and White bicker, now with Black predictably driven into the fray, all of them exchanging less than savory insults. You admit it’d be fun to watch.</p><p>
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</p><p> </p><p>Orange, Lime, and Pink greet you after they spawned back into the dropship despite the fact they’d all been your victims last round in one way or another. </p><p> </p><p>“Cheers, Red,” Lime chirps. “Probably was a bad idea to be all stacked together like that, but whatever.”</p><p> </p><p>“White was beyond pissed,” Pink adds. “You should’ve seen the messages he sent in the dead chat.”</p><p> </p><p>You nod, only half curious. <br/><br/></p><p>
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</p><p>Once Pink and Lime take their leave, you look to Orange, who opted to stay behind.</p><p> </p><p>He’d been much less good-humored than the others, his congratulations hushed and begrudging, though he had shown himself to be at least somewhat respectful.</p><p> </p><p>He walks up to you, close enough to whisper. “I can’t believe I trusted you,” he says harshly, but his words lacked any real conviction. “Blue just seemed so sure of you, man.”</p><p> </p><p>Before you could open your mouth to speak, he interrupts.</p><p> </p><p>“But,” he says, voice softer this time. “Good game.” </p><p> </p><p>You watch him as he leaves to join the others, not waiting for a reply.</p><p> </p><p>
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</p><p>When Blue finally steps into your peripheral, you hardly notice.</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t greet you. </p><p> </p><p>Steady stretches of anxiety began to sprout inside your mind, patches of guilt growing along with them. You knew it was just a game, but that didn’t seem to halt the waves of nausea that followed after his arrival.</p><p> </p><p>Time slowed to a painful crawl. Blue, barely existing, made neither a sound nor a motion to cement his presence.</p><p>
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</p><p>So, eventually, you concede.</p><p>
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</p><p>“Sorry,” you start simply. “For uh… ” you trail off, trying to put your words lightly. “…killing you.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay.” </p><p> </p><p>His tone doesn’t seem at all angry or betrayed, but what little relief that observation granted you was overshadowed by the worrying monotony of his voice. You can’t read him.</p><p> </p><p>Silence envelops the both of you once more. Steeling yourself, you try again. </p><p> </p><p>“And you knew the entire time?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep.”</p><p> </p><p>Of course. There was no way he would’ve missed your gun when you had shot Lime, even if the lights were off. He would’ve felt the recoil. He would’ve heard how close it was. It was unwise to believe that something that brazen would go unnoticed.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess I should thank you, then.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome.” </p><p> </p><p>The words had fallen out of your mouth absentmindedly. You desperately scour your brain for something else to add, but nothing of substance had dared to surface.</p><p> </p><p>And so silence returned.</p><p> </p><p>You waited, focused, tuning out all the other sounds in the room, craving to hear something tangible. Something to finally conclude the blunt pangs of uncertainty that escaped the grasps of your control.</p><p>
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</p><p>When it doesn’t come, you decide it’d just be best to leave it at that. You had already said your part. There was no need to linger.</p><p> </p><p>But the second you turn away, Blue frantically catches hold of your hand, remaining firm until he slowly slipped, unsure and embarrassed, slowly awakening to the consequences of impulse. He lets go of you quickly, repentant.</p><p> </p><p>You knew there was little purpose for this now that the round was over, but you didn’t find it necessary to have protested it. Contact seemed natural at this point. Trying to tell yourself it was unwelcome would’ve left you bitterly incongruous with your own feelings.</p><p> </p><p>Allowing yourself a little bit of comfort, you take his hand and reciprocate the gesture, cold fingers coiling tentatively around the familiar warmth.</p><p> </p><p>Blue seemed happy. Relieved, mostly.</p><p> </p><p>And you try to believe that, for the first time, there was no harm in wanting to stay this way.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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